Lt Avander Promontory: Without You My Friend

[Alora DeVeau]

((Promontory’s Quarters, Deck 4, ‘Oumuamua))

 

 

 

Avander hadn’t stayed too long at the awards ceremony. It was just all too much. And it was still too soon since they had lost Jack.

 

 

 

No one had talked much on the return trip from the failed mission to find Jack’s parents. They hadn’t been pursued, but it might have been a nice distraction if they had been. No, instead, everyone just sat in numbed silence.

 

 

 

The debrief hadn’t offered much relief either—they reported their experiences to the Commodore, who, as always, took things in stride. The recovered FO from the Caboto had been taken in for more interviews, but Avander had given up hope that that would be a profitable avenue of inquiry.

 

 

 

And then there was tonight's awards ceremony.

 

 

 

For a minute or two he had been able to forget about the loss of Jack as they celebrated the accomplishments of the rest of the crew. But Avander didn’t want to forget. It was like a betrayal to Jack for everyone to be celebrating while he was…

 

 

 

What? MIA? Dead?

 

 

 

As much as Avander didn’t want to think about it, the pain felt right—like the only appropriate way to honor Jack and his sacrifice was to be miserable.

 

 

 

It’s not like Avander didn’t know that there would be risks, even losses, with missions. Intellectually, he knew that. Expected it even. If you had asked the fresh-faced cadet if he might lose colleagues—friends—over his Starfleet career, he would have answered all too quickly, “Of course.” But that was in theory.

 

 

 

Experiencing it was another thing altogether.

 

 

 

Avander was suddenly very hot.

 

 

 

He ripped his jacket off violently and threw it with all his might—without bothering to take off his combage or awards or anything—against the nearest bulkhead where it gave a soft, unsatisfying *flop*.

 

 

 

He sank to the floor, eyes aflame.

 

 

 

Promontory: Computer, play “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa.

 

 

 

It was the song that his mom used to play when she was thinking about her dead husband.

 

 

 

He fell asleep, crying softly, as it continued to play on repeat.

 

 --

 

Lt Avander Promontory

Intelligence Officer

USS Oumuamua

O239910AP4